(1976) Acquired used, replaced inner sleeve, white rather than silver gatefold jacket, manufactured for Columbia House.  Swan Song label.  Run With The Pack is another record I am not sure when I acquired it.  Illinois thinks I got it from a family member at some point.  He’s probably right.

I reference Illinois because there are many times I rely on him for his encyclopedic memory and vast music knowledge. Illinois and I have a great love for collecting records.  We were attracted to each other right away because of it.  When we travel together, finding record stores is always on the schedule.  Our kids grew up knowing when you drive by a garage sale you should holler out “HEY! Got any records?”

SIDE 1

1. Live For The Music  (3:58)
2. Simple Man  (3:37)
3. Honey Child  (3:15)
4. Love Me Somebody  (3:09)
5. Run With The Pack  (5:21)

SIDE 2

1. Silver, Blue, & Gold  (5:03)
2. Young Blood  (2:37)
3. Do Right By Your Woman  (2:51)
4. Sweet Lil’ Sister  (3:29)
5. Fade Away  (2:54)

The photo on the inside jacket is perfect.  Shadowy, crummy front room of a house with wooden floors and a Persian carpet.  Old color TV set on a wheeled, metal cart with Bugs Bunny on the screen.  The band sitting on or near a funky old sofa. Stubby coffee table strewn with beer bottles and cans, paper cups, packs of smokes.  You can smell the stale funk of four guys.  Paul Rodgers (lead singer) is seated on the floor leaning against the sofa. You can make out his bushy English hair and he’s wearing overalls.

Welcome to rock and roll in 1976. Kinda grimy, still young, but deeply rooted in the generation before.  Take a listen to their cover of Young Blood.  My favorite song on this album is Sweet Lil’ Sister.  “Dancin with the devil in her eyes”– what a great line!  Along with the hits, this is a stand up album and should be in any good rock and roll collection.